Abstract: In September 1906，the Qing government issued an edict that promised to prepare a constitution beginning withthe reform of the administrative structure． Two months later，a plan for reform in the central bureaucratic system was issued． But reforming the local bureaucratic system was slow and difficult to implement． During the preparation for the reform of local governments， different political forces from the Qing government heatedly debated the pace and scope ofthe reform． The different opinions not only reflected efforts to safeguard their interests，but also involved doubts about the feasibility of the reform plan． It was not until the following July，when the“Regulations Regarding Reform of the Official System of the Provinces，”which was based on the compromise among different factions，was declared．However，the drafters evaded some crucial questions and it seemed to contemporaries that the rule was just an interim measure．